Also this issue:

Try to Remember
The Toronto Film Festival's directors cope with the past year.
-Sam Adams

The Magic Mountain
Notes from Telluride.
-Archie Perlmutter and Ruth

Screen Picks
-Sam Adams

New

Continuing

Showtimes

September 19-25, 2002

repertory film

Send repertory film listings to lori@citypaper.net.

THE BALCONY 1003 Arch St., 215-922-LIVE Delicatessen (1991, France, 99 min.) In a dark, post-apocalyptic, meatless world, a landlord fattens up his handymen, assistants, anyone he can find, and feeds them to his tenants, improbably from the makers of the sunny, crowd-pleasing Amélie. Mon., Sept. 23, 8 p.m.

CHESTNUT HILL FILM GROUP AT THE CHESTNUT HILL LIBRARY 8711 Germantown Ave., 215-901-3771, www.armcinema25.com/chfg.htmlMississippi Masala (1991, U.K./U.S., 118 min.) Denzel Washington and Sarita Choudhury star in Mira Nair's story of an Indian woman who falls in love with a black man after her family is cast out of Uganda when Idi Amin takes power. Tue., Sept. 24, 7:30 p.m.

COUNTY THEATER 20 E. State St., Doylestown, 215-345-6789, www.countytheater.com Orphée (Orpheus) (1949, France, 112 min.) Jean Cocteau's take on the mythological musician who could soothe wild beasts with his beautiful lyre, but could not save his Eurydice. Thu., Sept. 19, 4:15 p.m.; Mon., Sept. 23, 7 p.m.

INTERNATIONAL HOUSE 3601 Chestnut St., 215-895-6542 Text of Light (1974, U.S., 71 min.) Stan Brakhage's avant-garde film of a crystal ashtray in which he captures and experiments with the surfaces, light and spatial effects of the object, which he turns into a changing series of landscapes and patterns. Live, improvisational musical accompaniment from Alan Licht, Lee Ranaldo (of Sonic Youth), Christian Marclay, DJ Olive and William Hooker. Fri., Sept. 20, 8 p.m. (Tickets available two hours before showtime.)

JAMAICAN JERK HUT 1436 South St., 215-545-8644Contemporary Shakespeare Night Much Ado About Nothing (1993, U.K./U.S., 110 min.) Kenneth Branagh directs and stars in the comedic tale of Beatrice and Benedick's stubborn love waiting in the wings while Hero and Claudio prepare for their wedding. Pretend you don't see Keanu Reeves. Othello (1995, U.K./U.S., 123 min.) Laurence Fishburne, Irène Jacob and Kenneth Branagh (just acting this time, as Iago) play out Shakespeare's tale of infidelity and revenge. Thu., Sept. 19, 7 p.m.

MARATHON GRILL 1839 Spruce St., 215-731-0800 Diner (1982, U.S., 110 min.) Set in 1959, the movie follows five twentysomething guys who stall the onset of adulthood by hanging out in a diner. Wed., Sept. 25, 9 p.m.

PRINCE MUSIC THEATER 1412 Chestnut St., 215-569-9700 Future Sounds I -- Sonic Cinema Relâche Ensemble performs world-premiere and commissioned music to accompany six short films by George Méliès, René Clair and Irving Browning. The films, dating from 1903 to 1931, utilize burgeoning cinematic techniques -- stop time, cross fades and other tricks of the new film trade. Sat., Sept. 21, 7:30 p.m.; Sun., Sept. 22, 3 p.m. This is Spinal Tap (1984, U.S., 82 min.) Classic send-up of heavy metal, as done by Rob Reiner, Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer and Michael McKean. Wed., Sept. 25, 10 p.m.

SECRET CINEMA Moore College of Art & Design, 20th and Race sts., 215-568-4515, www.voicenet.com/~jschwart Unrestrained Genius: Cartoons by Tex Avery A collection of Fred "Tex" Avery cartoons featuring trademark characters (Droopy Dog, the lustful Wolf and his prey, the Girl), innovative animation techniques and comic writing. Fri., Sept. 20, 8 p.m.

VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY 800 Lancaster Ave., Villanova, 610-519-4750, www.culturalfilms.villanova.edu The Straight Story (1999, U.S., 111 min.) David Lynch gives it to us straight, no backwards-talking dwarfs, no death-row transmogrifications -- just the story of an old man who travels cross-country to visit his dying brother for the last time. Sat., Sept. 21, 7 p.m.; Sun., Sept. 22, 5:30 and 7 p.m.; Mon., Sept. 23, 7 p.m. (Monday night speaker: Rick Worland.)